Scar Revisions Are An Easy Outpatient Procedure With Aesthetically Pleasing Outcomes At Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center

CINCINNATI, OH – January 28, 2020 – Superstar Carrie Underwood is “rumored” to be undergoing plastic surgery to remove the scars that remain from a nasty fall she took over two years ago. Apparently, the star received 40-50 stitches, and still has a nasty gash from her nostril to her lip, and no amount of makeup or filler will conceal it.  Regardless of whether or not these rumors are true, the fact of the matter is that many types of scars can actually be removed or dramatically diminished by a variety of outpatient medical procedures.

 

Together the team of Dr. Jon Mendelsohn, medical director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center and certified nurse practitioner Dr. Hope Merz are routinely treating patients with scars – both surgically and non-surgically with aesthetically pleasing outcomes.

 

Says Merz, “The treatment options that we choose for a certain patient depend on the type and degree of scarring, along with the desired outcome. We conduct a thorough consultation and assessment of the patient’s scarring and expectations, then we proceed accordingly with the most appropriate and current treatment modalities.”

 

“If the patient has dehisced scarring, meaning that the sutures separated during the healing process, creating a widened appearance to a scar, we typically treat it with a surgical approach,” says Mendelsohn.  “This is often referred to as a ‘scar revision’ surgery, where it is necessary to remove the scarring and suture the incision closed. This is all done under local anesthesia, and the sutures are typically removed in 6-10 days. But each scar is different, what works for one type of scarring may not necessarily be appropriate for another. This may actually be the type of procedure that Ms. Underwood is currently investigating.”

 

Merz adds, “When the scarring is raised, thickened, often shiny and firm, we commonly refer to this as a hypertrophic scar, the protocol for treatment may be different. If a hypertrophic scar grows beyond where the initial wound was, it is considered to be a keloid at this point. For this type of scarring I have been using a relatively new approach with a series of 5-Fluorouracil injections. 5-Fluorouracil is a chemotherapeutic agent, commonly used topically to treat areas of heavily sun-exposed areas of the skin and superficial skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma. I am now using it to help flatten and fade thickened scars, it helps break up the fibrous scar tissue and the results are pretty amazing. After a series of bi-weekly or monthly injections, (which can take up to a year), I then use IPL (intense pulsed light ) or Picosure laser to help fade red or brown discoloration.”

 

She continues, “If the scarring is flat and not widened, but still is noticeable and bothersome, which was the case with a recent patient who suffered a dog bite on her face, we treat things a bit more conservatively. So we may use a combination of a topical fading cream, followed with IPL or PicoSure Laser for the discoloration and then microneedling to help the texture of the scar– either with or without platelet rich blood, a portion of your own blood sample with concentrated factors that stimulate collagen and help heal damaged tissue even further. ”

 

Mendelsohn concludes, “We have also made amazing strides with regard to the ‘pitting’ often left behind by facial acne.  Severe acne scarring can really take a toll on a person’s self-esteem and we have treated many patients with great success. We actually use a ‘punch graft’ to remove a deep acne scar and then take a skin graft of healthy tissue from behind the ear to fill the wound. It is truly remarkable and all done under local anesthesia.”

 

Dr. Jon E. Mendelsohn is the Medical Director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in Rookwood Office Tower.  A renowned specialist in Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Mendelsohn is double Board Certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and also the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery and has performed more than 3,000 facelifts in his career. Mendelsohn has been featured in the national media – including USA Today and CNN New Day, as well as The Doctors TV Show.